Planning the perfect Christmas

So the time is finally here. The season most of our folks long for and the children actually pine for is here but are we as a church ready to fulfill those longings? Recently I sat in a team meeting where the focus wasn’t on planning for the Advent season but it did come up. My sense was that as a church we really weren’t ready for this moment.  By that I mean we were not ready to educate our congregation about the meaning of the season.

So I harkened back to my seminary studies and went through the education courses file cabinet in my mind. I remember talking about planning curriculum around the Church calendar and to start early. Too often, as educators and ministers, we begin to plan too late in order to demonstrate the excellence we have been called to as ministers. If, however, we use the Church calendar (please notice that I am talking about Church with a big c not local) we can plan our work very effectively. The calendar reminds us of key moments in the life of the Church that we do not want to overlook. We can begin formulating an effective curriculum a year in advance so that when the time arrives, the curriculum will be ready.

The current season doesn’t really sneak up on anyone. We all know and anticipate the arrival of the Christchild or at least we should. How about after Decemeber 25th? What is the next marker in the Church calendar? How will you move your congregants into that important moment? Do they know what the Church calendar is or do they think it is created by the local congregation? The new year is upon us as well and maybe it is time to dust off the seminary notes on the Church calendar and live into larger body in the upcoming year. Who knows what blessings await you and your congregation when you take part in the larger Church tradition.

My final word is this. Tradition doesn’t need to come with baggage. If you think that to live into the Church calendar requires doing something in a traditional way, think again. Any church can interpret the Church calendar for the local church in new and exciting ways. The point is to join the larger Church and acknowledge the rich history we share at various points along the journey. Maybe in remembering our joint heritage we will learn to work together for the good of the Church instead of thinking we are all alone in our individual neighborhoods.

These are my thoughts and I would love to hear yours!